The Vikings stayed alive for a 4A playoff spot Friday night with a come-from-behind 21-14 victory over Chapman.

The Vikings trailed 7-6 at the half and then found themselves down 14-6.

But Ethan Loder, known more for his running, went to the air. He hit Holden Hendricks with a 24-yard TD pass, with Christian Hansen adding the 2-pointer on a pass from Loder. Late in the game, Hendricks caught another TD pass, a 25-yarder.

“We played really well defensively,” said Smoky Valley coach Chris Hattabaugh, whose team is now 1-1 in the district and 5-3 overall. “We had a big goal-line stand that was huge.”

Loder came up with a key interception, Hattabaugh said, that squelched a potential Chapman score.

Now all the Vikings have to do is win Thursday at Abilene and they’re headed to postseason play.

Sterling 40,

Inman 0

In what was the biggest game for Inman in nearly 10 years, Sterling deflated the Teutons’ hopes with a dominating performance.

“They were just more physical than us,” said Inman coach Mike Vernon, whose team is now 1-2 in the district and 5-3 overall. “Their quarterback (Riley Galyon) is the real deal.”

Vernon said his team played hard, but nothing could click.

“It was just one of those nights,” said Vernon, whose Teutons close Thursday at Ellinwood.

Little River 58,

Canton-Galva 14

It was another loss for the Eagles and more injuries, as they’re limping to the finish line hoping the experience they gain will help them next year since they are dominated by underclassmen.

The Eagles hung tough early, down just 16-14 at one point, but it spiraled out of control from there.

Tanner Klingensmith ran for one score and threw for another to Austin Bullinger. The Little River scoring was not available at press time.

Canton-Galva is now 3-5 on the year after a 3-0 start. It goes to Lincoln for its finale Thursday.

Little River is 6-2, but has a huge test Thursday when it hosts Central Plains, which shocked previously undefeated Solomon, 56-52. No team had even gone the distance with the Gorillas this year.

Halstead 48,

Moundridge 21

The Wildcats played well at times, but in the end Halstead’s depth played a difference.

The highlight of the Wildcats’ night was a 71-yard scroop and score by DeShawn Pfeiff. Garrett Higgins ran for a score and threw to Hunter Enyart for the other.

MHS was down only 22-14 at the half, but a 20-0 third-quarter Dragon run decided the outcome.

Page 2 of 2 - MHS coach Courtney Moddelmog said Matt Castor had been in on 12 tackles, but was lost with a knee injury and with that, the fire went out of the team.

The loss knocked the Wildcats out of playoff contention and they are 1-7 on the year. They close out the regular season Thursday hosting Marion.